Meet The Carrie Diaries Star Ellen Wong

Before Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte, there was Mouse. Sex and the City fans, meet Carrie Bradshaw's high school BFF, a sweet nerd (with a sexy side!) played by Ellen Wong in The Carrie Diaries, the Sex prequel set in the crazy 80's, premiering Jan. 14 on the CW. Ellen, 27, gave Cosmopolitan.com the scoop on her character, her career dreams, and uh, losing her virginity on-screen.

By
Michelle Ruiz

Dec 03, 2012

\nQ: Besides adorable cardigans, what can we expect from Mouse?

A: She's the super-pragmatic girl. Being Chinese, she's oscillating between two different worlds—one at home and one at school. There's that pressure to really succeed; that's the mentality of her parents, having immigrated to the Western World and coming from nothing. She's trying to figure out who she really is and finding the world where she really fits in. She thinks she's got her life all figured out but as the show goes along, she realizes that you can't plan your life and things happen and you have to be able to go with it.

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Q: How much did you relate to her?

A: A lot! I'm going on that journey with her. I'm really happy where I am right now but I was definitely pushed in a direction where my heart wasn't feeling most comfortable. I always wanted to be acting but…my parents (who are Cambodian) wanted me to be something else with more stability, like a doctor or lawyer. My heart wasn't in that and I'm really glad I followed my heart.

Q: How did you resist that pressure and pursue your acting dream?

A: Actually the turning point was when I took a backpacking trip after I finished university. I went to Southeast Asia and when I was in Cambodia, I met a lot of young children on the streets. Their main goal is just to survive and bring food home to their family. There was no room to dream the way we do here. My parents went through what they went through so that I could have that. I came back from that backpacking trip and quit my job (in film and television production) and have been focusing on acting ever since.

Q: And now you're Mouse! She loses her virginity in the Carrie Diaries trailer. What was it like to film that?

A: From an acting standpoint, there are nerves and it's hard. Even in real life, it's not exactly the most comfortable thing. But it's part of telling this story. I think it's important to show that, because that's a real thing that teenagers go through, especially today. We're trying to be responsible about it and show how our characters are going to deal with it, and what it feels like. There's a lot of heart to it and it's sensitive. We doesn't just glamorize it. It's real.

Q: What would you tell your high school self?

A: To not put so much pressure on yourself. Be happy with who you are and know that being you is the best thing you can do for yourself. You've got a long time to figure everything out and there's no rush. Enjoy the now.